ray c 2,299 Posted January 21, 2021 2022 shaping up Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted January 21, 2021 26 minutes ago, lisa-colette said: Better to give a long date you are pretty sure about then say May and then that doesn't happen! I guess it depends on if any more variants slip into the country. OK. Let's start the season in August and then listen to the 'usuals' complain about restriction being lifted and no speedway to watch. You get done either way, but if you don't plan something, you are planning to fail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted January 21, 2021 I appreciate the past was totally different than the present, but as a fan of 60 years who enjoyed his speedway in the mid/ late 60’s, I feel bound to compare. Of the 18 clubs who made up the British League in 1965, only 3 will compete at the top level in 2021. Looking at the fare on offer back then... 17 visiting teams, World-class riders at every meeting, open meetings of a GP standard, world championship rounds and an 18 team cup competition, I can’t help feeling today’s fan is being woefully short- changed. To have only 5 visiting teams with no GP riders in a whole season is far from exciting. I accept I no longer attend meetings and there will be forum members who feel I am not entitled to comment, but I doubt any members who watched British League speedway between 1965 and 1971 would disagree with me. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss 10,761 Posted January 21, 2021 So six ‘future stars’ for the top league......Kemp, Rowe, Flint, Palin, Brennan, Bickley? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted January 21, 2021 If they make the grade, and I hope they do, great. But... we can all remember many bright young prospects who never made it. If the future for British speedway is bright I shall be as pleased as anyone, but I can’t believe too many fans are excited at the prospect of 10 home league meetings featuring 5 visiting teams, lacking all those of world class because they are all in Poland and Sweden. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,242 Posted January 21, 2021 3 hours ago, Tsunami said: For once I agree with you, and on every point. With COVID, Brexit, Poland and rider availability we were forced into bringing through the British youth which has never been in as good a shape for years through the BYC. I like the fact that an agreed plan has been developed, and all the clubs have agreed to a unified front on team selections, launch programme, and it's all aligned with the Eurosport and their launch. It doesn't really matter we have reduced the team strength, less costs going out of the sport with visas, flight, vehicles, lodgings and more concentration on Brits and especially the young riders. This is the sort of plan and unification that the sport badly needs to make future progress and build up British stock along the way. Only thing not hinted at is the possibility of a supremo to run the sport, possibility to be announced later when he has cut the ties that stops him from taking the post now. Having a personal interest in the sport, I sincerely hope it all goes well, and everyone thinks of the sport before their personal interest. Looking good. About 20 years too late, but, better late than never... At last it appears that those who have routinely year on year helped reduce the sport to an almost irrelevance at domestic league level by using such a ludicrous operating model and business plan, have either been outnumbered and have no choice but to lump it, or have finally seen the hand in front of their face reality that whatever they did to help their own team win a title, it made zero impact to the sports long term success, as basically, it mattered not one jot to so many given the lack of a credible offer that they provided each week... Getting the GB team successful consistently has to be the overriding priority of the BSPL, with all three of their leagues providing an end to that means, with hopefully also the assistance of Poland and Sweden in providing places for UK riders deemed sufficiently good enough to get those place offers as they progress.. Teams full of UK lads has to be the target for the sport over here to once again get the publicity it so badly needs, and there really is no better way for a sport to awaken the public's consciousness towards it than bringing national success into their homes via the TV and media regularly... Lets hope it's the start of promoters finally bringing some reality to what their roles really are, (which is to grow the sport as a collective), and the end of them feeling that their own team winning any UK speedway title was 'the be all and end all', because it truly isn't... Good luck to all who are giving it go and let's hope any bumps in the road are taken as such and don't get used as an excuse for any abandonment of the scheme.. Who knows, maybe in a few years time the domestic titles in the UK will have credibility due to being ran 'properly' and the teams that win the comps gain some 'proper' national coverage (and financial rewards), for their endeavours, and it will be all down to having generated interest in the sport through having plenty of British world class riders dominating the sport at the highest level.. It will be a long old road, but the journey has to start somewhere... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jenga 2,998 Posted January 21, 2021 On 1/20/2021 at 5:13 PM, screm said: So nearly a week on from the AGM , are we any further forward. are they still looking for the reset button for British speedway ? just go back to 1970 rules n regs ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted January 21, 2021 7 minutes ago, mikebv said: About 20 years too late, but, better late than never... At last it appears that those who have routinely year on year helped reduce the sport to an almost irrelevance at domestic league level by using such a ludicrous operating model and business plan, have either been outnumbered and have no choice but to lump it, or have finally seen the hand in front of their face reality that whatever they did to help their own team win a title, it made zero impact to the sports long term success, as basically, it mattered not one jot to so many given the lack of a credible offer that they provided each week... Getting the GB team successful consistently has to be the overriding priority of the BSPL, with all three of their leagues providing an end to that means, with hopefully also the assistance of Poland and Sweden in providing places for UK riders deemed sufficiently good enough to get those place offers as they progress.. Teams full of UK lads has to be the target for the sport over here to once again get the publicity it so badly needs, and there really is no better way for a sport to awaken the public's consciousness towards it than bringing national success into their homes via the TV and media regularly... Lets hope it's the start of promoters finally bringing some reality to what their roles really are, (which is to grow the sport as a collective), and the end of them feeling that their own team winning any UK speedway title was 'the be all and end all', because it truly isn't... Good luck to all who are giving it go and let's hope any bumps in the road are taken as such and don't get used as an excuse for any abandonment of the scheme.. Who knows, maybe in a few years time the domestic titles in the UK will have credibility due to being ran 'properly' and the teams that win the comps gain some 'proper' national coverage (and financial rewards), for their endeavours, and it will be all down to having generated interest in the sport through having plenty of British world class riders dominating the sport at the highest level.. It will be a long old road, but the journey has to start somewhere... Agreed 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moomin man 76 171 Posted January 21, 2021 23 minutes ago, Bagpuss said: So six ‘future stars’ for the top league......Kemp, Rowe, Flint, Palin, Brennan, Bickley? Some pretty big assumptions that these will all be 'future stars' if these are the riders allocated to the top league... I personally can't see the likes of Bickley ever progressing beyond competent Championship performer... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted January 21, 2021 27 minutes ago, Bagpuss said: So six ‘future stars’ for the top league......Kemp, Rowe, Flint, Palin, Brennan, Bickley? Thompson twins are up there as well. I agreed about the doubt with Bickley. He has plateaued in the last two years. My rider Freeman is next along with Harry McGurk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucky lee 6 Posted January 21, 2021 can,t wait for lightning Luke Harrison to get a go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enotian 562 Posted January 21, 2021 whilst I prefer to see teams allowed to build sides differently and think that the genuinely talented youngsters will progress on ability regardless this seems like a sensible thing to do in the circumstances. And I agree a strong national team is the best way of piercing main stream media. the proof will be in seeing the gradings (which will hopefully take experience and average into account) and what then happens in 2022. Presumably if for example Palin is a huge success in 2021 (i.e. averaging 7 in the PL and 9 in the CL) he no longer needs to be part of the grading structure in 2022? Otherwise there could be a huge discrepancy in team strengths at the start of 2022 and it all unravels. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Najjer 2,884 Posted January 21, 2021 3 hours ago, lisa-colette said: So according to Sky News the government scientists are advising not to open hospiliatlity til May but speedway will start at the same time! Yeah right! You’ve answered your own question there... if hospitality is due to reopen in May then surely Speedway in an outdoor environment beginning in May seems reasonable? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted January 21, 2021 4 minutes ago, enotian said: whilst I prefer to see teams allowed to build sides differently and think that the genuinely talented youngsters will progress on ability regardless this seems like a sensible thing to do in the circumstances. And I agree a strong national team is the best way of piercing main stream media. the proof will be in seeing the gradings (which will hopefully take experience and average into account) and what then happens in 2022. Presumably if for example Palin is a huge success in 2021 (i.e. averaging 7 in the PL and 9 in the CL) he no longer needs to be part of the grading structure in 2022? Otherwise there could be a huge discrepancy in team strengths at the start of 2022 and it all unravels. When he rode for BV Cubs in 2019, he started the season at no7 and scored a 15 point max in his first meeting. It was only a matter of time, but he quickly got to no 1 and stayed there till the end of the season. Cracking rider with excellent support, but the Thompson twins are just a smidge behind him. In the 500cc finals last year and 2019 the regular 4 riders were Palin, Thompson twins and Freeman. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Najjer 2,884 Posted January 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Bagpuss said: So six ‘future stars’ for the top league......Kemp, Rowe, Flint, Palin, Brennan, Bickley? I’ve thought about this and I think it’s a classic case of British Speedway over complicating things. Why have all this graded nonsense? Why not just say the no.7 is designated to British U24 riders and have done with it? Teams can pick their riders to suit no matter how good or bad they do, taking the lead from Poland in this respect. The intentions are very good but the execution is just missing in my opinion. Some may argue that could open up a bidding war for the best riders but that is likely to happen even with gradings come next year. The whole grading system just opens up such unneeded debates where teams will try and screw each other over by insisting their riders should be graded lower and opposing riders graded higher... we’ve been here before with that! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
